It’s Much More than just a Major

My name is Wallace Layman and I am a freshman beginning my degrees in Paper Science and Engineering and Chemical Engineering. Dr. Byrd and Jennifer Piercy hosted, for  the PSE 201 course, a meet and greet professional development, with the main objective being to meet new friends. I attended this event as a student that was in the first semester group of PSE, and the sole purpose of this event was to help acclimate incoming students to the PSE family. We had “speed friending” rounds where we were tasked with meeting a new student every 45 seconds. I met several new individuals which I believe will make a wonderful addition to the paper science family. After, we matched up with someone we had not met to play an NC State version of Price is Right, Jeopardy, and Family Feud. This endeavor left my classmate Gigi and I feeling that we are horrible at television questionnaire games. Dinner was provided by the Pulp and Paper Advisory Board, and the event concluded with a tour of the building.

Mission Accomplished…New Friends

From my perspective as a freshman who is still learning this program,  this professional development event was significant in that it helps incoming students feel included. The returning PSE students may tend to stay with their previously established social groups; however, this event helps break that cycle and allows the new students to begin to feel a part of the ever exclusive PSE family. It also acclimates students to the genuinely  fun and caring environment of PSE, and how  this program operates. The facility within the PSE program truly care about the students (this was a Sunday night event after all, and they were all there) and I feel that this event allowed newcomers to see just that.  New students were introduced to department and its extraordinary features, which aide in the success of each and every student that is a part of it.